Spurs ditch Bent but they want £12.5m for flop who has scored just three goals

Eyebrows were raised when Spurs spent £16.5million on Bent last summer, pipping West Ham to his signature.

Now Bent has been told he can go in this transfer window or in the summer and Spurs are willing to accept around £12.5m for the striker who has scored only three goals in 14 League appearances this season.

The 23-year-old England international has been a huge disappointment and is not rated by new manager Juande Ramos.

Bent was offered to Middlesbrough in Spurs' attempts to prise Stewart Downing away from Teesside. But Boro chairman Steve Gibson is holding out for a straight cash deal and will not sell the England winger for less than £12m.

Ramos has already told Jermain Defoe that he can leave and Lyon's Brazilian striker Fred has claimed that Spurs want to sign him as a replacement.

West Ham have been alerted to Bent's availability, although manager Alan Curbishley's interest has cooled after the striker snubbed a move to the Hammers in the summer despite lengthy negotiations.

Curbishley has also been put off by the asking price of £12.5m now that the purse strings have been tightened at Upton Park.

Spurs, who face Reading in their third round FA Cup replay tonight, made a bid of £8m for Downing on Sunday night but may now have to wait another week as his agent Ian Elliott is leaving the country today.

Elliott admitted the clubs are still no closer to agreeing a deal.

He said: "Stewart is very, very flattered by Tottenham's interest in him. They play the type of football he would like to be involved in.

"If the interest was firmed up he would be interested in talking to them, but we can't take it any further.